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Nitric Oxide For Sport
Why Natural Boosters from Food are the Best
PRE-WORKOUT
The goal of achieving greater levels of performance or recovery has resulted in the development of entire categories of sports nutrition products . One such category is the group of compounds associated with “ nitric oxide ” for pre-workout formulas .
Today , many pre-workout supplements contain what have become known as Nitric Oxide ( NO ) boosters . Nitric Oxide is an important signaling molecule in the body that exists in the form of a gas ; it ’ s made up of just one molecule of nitrogen and just one molecule of oxygen . NO is produced in several places in the body , but mostly in the endothelium , which is a fancy name for the lining of blood vessels .
What does NO do ?
NO regulates the nervous , immune and cardiovascular systems , but probably its most important function is “ vasodilation ,” meaning it increases blood flow , explaining why it ’ s mostly produced in the lining of blood vessels . Although important to all of us , it ’ s particularly beneficial to athletes because increasing blood flow delivers more oxygen to exercising muscles as well as fuel and other key nutrients utilized during workouts .
The biochemistry of NO is interesting as it is produced by several pathways . Scientific research shows that increased nitric oxide production has benefits for blood pressure and both aerobic and anaerobic exercise performance . In summary , for sport , in addition to delivering fuel and oxygen to muscles , NO improves work production , helps regulate blood sugar and helps to remove waste products such as lactic acid .
The most commonly understood pathway for NO production is from amino acid precursors such as Arginine , Ornithine and Citrulline , which have subsequently become the key ingredients in sports supplements for pre-workout formulas . These compounds typically create a “ pump ” and while they function as nitric oxide precursors , meaning that they are converted into nitric oxide once in the body , they are sourced as industriallyproduced synthetic amino acids .
Choosing Plants vs . Synthetics
Fortunately Nitric Oxide is made in the body by two major pathways , so as a company that looks to whole foods as our primary ingredients , we obviously decided to avoid using synthetic chemical ingredients . The pathway we chose involves the conversion of dietary nitrates found in plants into nitric oxide in the body . Nitrates are found naturally occurring in many plants , mostly in green leafy vegetables , as well as root vegetables .
When dietary nitrates from plants are consumed , they are absorbed and excreted into our saliva where they are converted by oral bacteria into nitrites which are subsequently converted by acid in the body to form NO . Also , nitrates from plants and whole foods are different and highly beneficial because they exist in foods with antioxidants such as vitamin C and polyphenols which positively affect NO production from both pathways .
Organic Kale , Spinach , and Beets
At Garden of Life , we partnered with Van Drunen Farms due to their extensive research projects on natural plant nitrates and the fact that they are our long-term partners in growing and producing Certified USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified greens , vegetables and fruits , as well as sprouted grains and seeds for many of our existing GoL products . Based on their research and testing , we selected Organic Kale , Spinach and Beets as the highest sources of natural plant nitrates delivered in antioxidant rich foods . This form of dietary nitrates is a whole food ingredient and carries with it the entire complement of nutrition that makes vegetables so beneficial for our health . Whole foods will always be the foundational answer to good health , and sports performance supplementation does not have to sacrifice that principle in order to achieve great results .